James p



J. P. SHAW.

(No Model.)

BOOT.

No. 331,561. Patented Dec. 1, 188 5..

DTVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N, perms. Pholn-Lilhogmphcr. wa -mm. 11c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. SHAW, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOSEPH M. QUIVEY, OF SAME PLACE.

BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,561, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed July 25, 1885. Serial No. 172,685. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JAMEs F. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boots, of which the following is a description.

This invention is an improvement in felt, knit, or wool boots, and has for an object to provide a convenient and simple construction by which said boots will be prevented from breaking at the points of greatest strain and wear.

In the use of felt boots it has been found that they will crack and break at the top of the rubber overshoe at the points answering about to the instep in front and the top of the counter in rear of the ordinary boot. This results from the frequent bending of the boot at such points and the contact of the felt with the stiff upper edge of the overshoe. This breakage occurs long before either the foot or leg portion of the boot becomes worn, and thus renders the boot practically worthless when it is otherwise in good condition for use. It becomes quite an object,therefore,to so construct the boot as to obviate this difficulty without rendering such boot too expensive.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinationsof parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a perspective view,of a boot constructed according to my invention. 7

The foot-piece A is of felt, and may be made by the usual felting process. It is formed with a leg portion, B, which extends above the instep portion of the foot-piece, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. Over this portion B, I fit the lower end of the leg 0, which extends at c at its front end down over the vamp of the foot-piece A to a point below the bend of the instep, and it extends at c at the rear down over the foot-piece approximately to the heel or base of the foot-piece.

The leg and foot-piece may be secured together in any usual manner. In practice I prefer to stitch the lower end of the leg 0 at D to the foot-piece, and to run several separated rows, 11, of stitching around the legs B and 0, above the row D, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 2. The leg 0 is formed of leather or other suitable strong material of 5 sufficient body to properly hold its place. It is also preferred to form the lower forward end of the leg O with a narrow depending tongue,0, as such formation breaks the squareness of the joint between the felt and the leather, and thereby prevents the felt from cracking or breaking atsuch joint. This narrow tongue also prevents the breaking of the felt across the instep without materially reducing the flexibility of the boot at such point, thus leaving the boot easy and comfortable to the foot at such point.

By the described construction it will be seen the felt is prevented from breaking at the points where breakage now commonly occurs.

Felt boots, as is well known, are worn with heavy rubber overshoes on the foot-piece, and the breaks and cracks occur at the top of such rubber, which is indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. As shown, the rubberjoins my boot across the leather leg 0 and cannot break the same.

Itwill be seen that when the foot-piece has become worn the boot may be footed with a new foot-piece at but a slight cost compared with the full felt boot, while the leather is practically indestructible.

While it is preferred to form the leg portion of leather, it is manifest that analogous materials,in which I would include canvas and the like, might be used where so desired.

.VVhat I claim as new is- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a boot consisting of a felt, knit, or wool footpiece provided with a leg portion projected above the instep portion, and a leg proper or protector,of leather or analogous materia1,fitted over the leg portion of the foot-piece and secured thereto, said leg or protector being extended in front down over the vamp of the foot-piece to a point over the instep thereof, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, with the felt, knit, or Wool foot-piece having a leg portion, of the leg proper or protector, of leather or analogous material, fitted over the leg of the footpiece, and having its back portion depending approximately to the base of the heel of the foot-piece, substantially as set forth.

WVitnesses: JAMES F. SHAW.

BELLE Toni), H. D. CHAMBERS. 

